


Black Lily

by Janie_Rose



Category: The Wandering Inn - pirateaba
Genre: 1800s, Based on Carmilla, England - Freeform, F/F, Human AU, Spoilers past chapter 7.20, Vampires, as in everyone is human
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-27
Updated: 2020-05-27
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:27:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 975
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24408787
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Janie_Rose/pseuds/Janie_Rose
Summary: She lay on the bed, lonely. She wanted someone to be with her. She wanted a friend.--Based on CarmillaSet in England during the 1800s, Ryoka Griffin lives with her father in a castle on the idyllic countryside. She waits impatiently for General Zel to arrive with his niece. But then, something unexpected happens.
Relationships: Ryoka Griffin/Serafierre val Lischelle-Drakle
Kudos: 3





	Black Lily

The blue of the sky gave way to a deep wine-like purple. Ryoka watched as the wind swayed the thin, long branches of the willow trees. Bright green grass rolled in the fading light. Her breath fogged the glass.

Ryoka frowned and stepped away from the window. After watching for most of the day, there was still no carriage in sight. She decided to head back towards the main hallway. Arches scaled the cream walls. Her gown itched and she longed for trousers. But that wasn’t possible because she had to go see her father. Instead of taking the long way around his study like usual, she went straight up the stairs and towards the study door.

Ryoka took a deep breath and knocked.

“Come in,” a deep voice resounded.

She opened the door and braced herself.

Her father looked up and gave her a questioning look.

Mr. Griffin was a strict man with dark features. Never a hint of emotion on his face. She remembered a man smiling at her as she hung down from a tree. That man wasn’t him, at least, not anymore.

“Their carriage still hasn’t come yet.”

He gave her a pointed look for not addressing him correctly. Ryoka stiffened her spine, ready for the fight, almost wanting it. Instead, he let it go.

“That is strange. Perhaps they had to make a stop on the road.”

She didn’t reply.

He sighed.

“I will make an inquiry and send a messenger down the road. But I expect that a letter is already on its way if they were this delayed.”

“Hmm,” she replied.

Her father gave her a hard stare.

“I expect your best behavior when General Zel arrives.” He said coldly.

Her mind flashed to a lithe woman dancing around her in the snow. Hot, boiling rage flared from her core, but Ryoka kept it locked in tight. It showed as a pained grimace.

“Yes.”

His eyes turned dangerous. He expected perfection as always. Anything out of line was out of question. 

“I mean- yes, father.”

He looked at her for a good second. It was as if the air was weighted, anything could have happened. But then the moment passed as he looked back at his paperwork.

“You are excused.”

Ryoka barely gave a dip of her head and left quickly through the double doors of his study. Her feet tapped down the hall. She threw herself down onto her bed and tried not to scream. Ryoka bit down hard on her lip. Her mind flashed to that bitter day in the snow.

“Ryoka, put on your shoes! It’s freezing.” Ivolethe, her maid, shouted as she raced after her.

Ryoka gave a rare laugh. They were to go meet Lady Venitra at the gate. She was one of the daughters of the great Count Chandler. Her father wanted to do business with him and thought it well to establish a friendship first between their daughters. She remembered a tall woman, skin as white as bone. Her smile, though polite, was cold.

Ryoka forcefully tore her mind away from the memory. Ivolethe was gone. She was sent away after what had happened.

She remembered Ivolethe’s regretful smile and the taste of her own tears. It wasn’t fair.

Ryoka hadn’t stopped writing letters but she hadn't gotten one from her friend in a long time. She wondered if Ivolethe had forgotten about Ryoka by now.

She rolled over onto her back. Ryoka glanced towards her window and shot up straight. There was a carriage in the ditch on the side of the path leading to their manor.

She scrambled over to the window, heart thumping. General Zel had said in his previous letters that he was going to bring his niece, Selys for the trip. Mr. Griffin and the General were old friends from her father’s military days. Ryoka couldn’t care less about Zel though. She was more excited about the possibility of a new friend. Usually, Ryoka was cold to the idea of people. But after Ivolethe’s absence, she wanted to experience the warmth of human companionship again and not think about her self loathing for once.

As she came outside, Ryoka raised her hand to cover her eyes from the setting sun. She heard the grunts of the servants as they helped unload the carriage. Ryoka saw a tall hooded figure conversing with her father. Confused, Ryoka ran up to them.

“ I really must be on my way. I am so grateful for your help.” said the tall woman in the cloak.

“It is no problem at all. I am only regretful that your carriage was caught on my roads.” her father said, courteous as always, at least to strangers.

“Do not worry. It seems to me that the winter must have caused the cracks in the road.”

“Dad?”

Mr. Griffin turned and gave her a pointed look.

“Lady Colfa, this is my daughter, Ryoka.”

The tall woman dipped her head, eyes glinting.

“Pleased to meet you.” she said in a haughty voice.

“Charmed.” Ryoka muttered as she did a quick curtsy.

“Ryoka, Lady Colfa’s daughter will be staying with us.”

She leaned her head back in surprise.

“What?”

“Oh, you have yet to meet her,” Colfa clasped her hands together, “ Fierre, come here girl.”

“Coming,” a small voice rang out from the carriage.

A slim young woman stepped out of the carriage door. Fierre was short, shorter than Ryoka. She was completely engulfed in her hooded cloak. Straight, black hair peeked out of her hood as a hand covered in a black silken glove shielded the sun from her face.

“Ryoka, meet Fierre.” announced Fierre’s mother.

Fierre smiled shyly as she stepped down from the carriage. Ryoka stared. It must have been the sun but she could have sworn that Fierre’s eyes gleamed red in the light.


End file.
